Canberra Moon Festival (CMF) is the FIRST multi-Asian cultural festival event in Canberra.

Moon Festival (aka Mid-Autumn Festival) itself in lunar calendar celebrates harvest and reunion in many Asian cultures. CMF intends to present the concept of “One Community, One World, One Big Family” to our beloved multicultural capital city. It is created to become a cultural sensation and tourist attraction for not only Asians celebrate the festival but also all Canberrans and visitors across Australia - the ”September National Multicultural Festival”.

This year CMF is expecting to entertain 60,000+ guests over 3 days (Friday 21 - Sun 23 September) with fun, fabulous and educational programmes for all ethnic and age groups. Activities range from talent contest, ongoing professional and community performances, cosplay party, exotic and local food/drink stalls to family-friendly amusement facilities.

History

2016: The concept of CMF was initially formed and a prototype event run by a voluntary operating team - the precursor of current CMF organiser.

Eastar Media, Event & Marketing is a non-profit community-based organisation first established in March 2017.

Holding a strong passion for bringing people together and celebrating diversity, Eastar provides media, event and marketing services to help individuals and businesses in Canberra design, create and coordinate remarkable community events.

Organiser Vision

Eastar operates under a not-for-profit model and donates its profit to local charities and international organisations that are actively working towards creating a sustainable future for us all.

The Eastar team is working hard toward becoming amongst the best community marketing and event organisations in the nation in the most sustainable ways possible, so it may contribute to the community in aspects of tourism and economy and promote/support the UN World Sustainability Programs.

Life is a celebration, andEastar believes there is no better way to celebrate multiculturalism and humanity than with our community. Canberra Moon Festival was developed as Eastar’s signature event to represent its vision and goals.

Story Behind

Suzana Li, founder of Canberra Moon Festival is a mother of two young children. Both her husband and she are first-generation immigrants from China.

One day when Suzana’s daughter Olivia was 3 and half years old, she said to her "mum, I like to speak English more than Chinese”. Suzana was struck because from that moment she realised her daughter had started losing interest in her mother language and culture. It was also proved a pointless effort sending Olivia to after-hour language school or speaking to her at home in the language of her origin, it didn't seem having brought back the interest.

Suzana realised the reason toOlivia’slackinginterest in her native culture most possibly is that no one else in her social group is interested or understand the culture and language. Suzana then felt the urge to emphasise the importance of conserving one’s own cultural heritage, especially among immigrant families and their children; it is critical to re-immerse young children with the culture and language of their origin with the most power that our community is capable of, while they embrace and grow to live an Australian life.

Once a person, may it be a kid or anyone in our society, starts getting interested in certain culture, he or she will then start digging and become interested in the language and many aspects of that culture. This is what drove Suzana and her team to initiate the concept of CMF and trial the event in 2016. With its fun, creative yet educational programme, the festival brings the culture to this society rather than forcing learning onto it.

Following its establishment in 2017, Eastar Media, Event & Marketing (NGO) launched the first CMF officially. Moon Festival was chosen as the medium for its traditional celebrative meaning of harvest and family reunion. Furthermore CMF sublimates the festival to be celebrated by all and spread a contemporary concept of reunion and unity:

“One community, one world, one big family. Together, we harvest better and more.”